Chapter 297

With the P1 Fighting Conference just around the corner, Luke's home was a hive of training activity.

Gengar was lifting dumbbells with a confident swagger, while Squirtle, now strong enough to find the dumbbells a mere warmup, had turned a speculative eye toward the prized leek in Sirfetch'd's grip.

"Gah?" Sirfetch'd blinked, clutching the leek protectively. First you wanted to spar, and now you're eyeing my leek?

Despite the commotion, Luke felt pretty calm about the tournament itself. As long as his team made it to the top eight, they'd secure a prize. There was no pressure to go all out for the win, especially with Ash's newly-caught Primeape looking like a fierce contender for the title.

What mattered more to Luke was the release of Pokémon Auto Chess, which was scheduled right before the tournament.

"Tests are tomorrow," Luke murmured to himself, tapping thoughtfully at his laptop. "I better stay sharp."

...

Saturday, December 19

Cherrygrove Town, Johto Region

"Dululu~"

Gold stood in front of the mirror with Pichu, both rinsing their mouths in sync, as he clicked on his favorite morning broadcast.

Soft background music played, followed by the soothing voice of the morning show host.

"Good morning, everyone. This is DJ Walnut, bringing you your daily dose of sunshine…"

Gold grinned as he straightened his goggles. "Another morning, another successful self-wake-up!" he declared proudly.

Nearby, Togekiss burst out laughing, sending mouthwash flying everywhere.

"Too loud, Togetaro!" Gold scolded with a chuckle.

After feeding his Pokémon in the backyard, Gold spotted his friend Crystal, who had come by to lend a hand with the chores.

"Oh, Gold's really got you helping him out, huh?" his mother teased with a warm smile.

"Oh, no, not at all, Auntie!" Crystal blushed, twirling her hands nervously. "I'm just here to, um… gather data on Pokémon… that's all."

Gold's mom gave her a knowing look. "Of course, dear, I understand."

Meanwhile, Gold leaned out from the second-floor balcony, calling, "Hey! Why don't you stay for lunch?"

Crystal shook her head, waving her hands. "No, thanks! I've got to get back to the lab!"

Gold shrugged, then gave a mischievous smile. Perfect—now I can game all day without someone scolding me about my 'research priorities.'

While most of his friends in the chat were excited about the P1 Fighting Tournament, Gold was more thrilled about something else: the new game Mr. Luke was releasing.

Today was the day: the official test of Pokémon Auto Chess!

"Yes!" he cheered, pumping his fist in excitement. Time to game all day long!

Rubbing his hands together, he settled into his chair. His Togekiss, equally thrilled, floated beside him, watching the screen eagerly.

"Alright!" Gold grinned as he booted up the game. "Let's see what kind of genius invention Mr. Luke cooked up this time!"

The computer loaded, displaying a sleek, minimalist interface with a cool metallic texture. The mode options featured an intriguing "8-Player Match" mode.

Gold scratched his head, frowning a little. "Chess, huh? Well… how hard can it be?"

When Gold thought of chess, his first association was with the mind-bending game of Go.

But once he got into *Pokémon Auto Chess*, he quickly realized it was something entirely different.

"Wait, *this* is chess?" he muttered, bewildered.

In *Auto Chess*, all players had to do was select Pokémon to buy, upgrade them, and then watch the battles unfold automatically. Different types and traits created synergy effects that could turn the tide of battle.

Following the beginner's tutorial, Gold picked his first low-cost Pokémon, a "Caterpie," from the draft area.

He was soon knocked out in eighth place, but by then, he was getting the hang of it…

By late afternoon, Gold's eyes were bloodshot as he leaned closer to his computer, utterly absorbed.

"A 3-star Beedrill on Stage 2?!" he shouted. "Who's playing with this much commitment?"

To reach a 3-star Beedrill, someone had to gather nine copies of Weedle, an early-game, low-cost Pokémon.

On the screen, a scarlet-eyed, three-star Beedrill annihilated Gold's under-leveled Cyndaquil with a sharp, precise strike.

Even with a type advantage, Gold was hopelessly outmatched by sheer level difference.

"Exbo!" he yelled in frustration.

"Roar?" Typhlosion, lounging nearby, looked up, confused.

While bug-type Pokémon were easy to collect and upgrade early, Gold was trying to build a sun team—a lineup that would only shine late in the game.

Ten minutes later, Gold was back at it, determination flaring in his eyes as he pounded the table.

"Next round!" he growled.

...

Similar scenes played out across other regions.

In Hoenn, in Mauville City, Watson was practically fuming, his mustache bristling with frustration.

"I refuse to believe it—I will take first place today!" he huffed. "Just wait till I upgrade to the 5-cost Zapdos, and I'll show you all!"

But mere minutes later, Watson was slumped in his chair, looking utterly defeated, his head resting on his hand.

"This game…there's got to be a trick to it," he muttered to himself. "Or maybe… some kind of hidden tech?"

...

This was the players' first impression after diving into *Pokémon Auto Chess*.

With the game's first-place slogan, "Good luck, eat chicken tonight," taking the top spot in *Pokémon Auto Chess* quickly became known as "eating chicken." The game stayed true to the Pokémon Company's signature style, complete with evolutionary sequences and attribute interactions clearly displayed for each piece. Hovering over a Pokémon even brought up a small Pokédex-style list with fun facts—a touch players loved.

Most notably, *Pokémon Auto Chess* didn't feature microtransactions. There were no paid skins or add-ons—only unlockable chessboards and visual effects. It was designed to be fair and accessible, making even "free players" feel like they had a strong, complete experience. With this approach, major game forums buzzed as players praised the new title:

"*This game is way too generous! If it's a game by Teacher Luke, I'll hype it up all day!*"

"*I'm so close to first place—I'm gonna eat chicken tonight!*"

"*Pro tip: Run a fun lineup with the 'Thief' bond! Cat Boss, Meowth, Sableye...*"

"*Are you serious with that? My monster squad will crush your puny thieves!*"

Over at Devon Corporation, however, things weren't so cheerful.

The staff responsible for game announcements looked at each other, helpless. "Director, their reception is overwhelming. We're losing a massive share of players to them."

The director frowned. Despite being a partner with the Pokémon Company, Devon also competes with them in gaming. But no one had anticipated this first battle in the PC game space would be such a landslide.

"Revenue might not meet expectations this month," a staff member added, shaking their head. *Auto Chess*'s fresh gameplay had captivated players and held their attention, drawing users away from Devon's own titles. Copying the trend was an option, but that could take months to develop.

"Any word from the vice president?" the director asked. The gaming department, one of Devon's most important sectors, was under the care of Joseph Stone's son, Steven, who, despite his reluctance in business, had proven to have an impressive instinct for strategic moves.

"He did say something…" replied the staff member, looking conflicted.

"Spit it out."

The staff member gave a slight, defeated smile. "He said… '*Pokémon Auto Chess* is really fun. Way more fun than anything we're making in-house.'"